5 Differences Between Video Poker and Texas Hold’em Poker
“Royal Flush” by Images_of_Money is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Many poker players are introduced to the Texas Hold’em through other casino games like slots or video poker. Perhaps you play video poker online or at your local casino and are considering Texas Hold’em poker. I am here to tell you, try it! This article will look at 5 differences between video poker and Texas Hold’em poker so you are better prepared when you sit at the poker table.
Texas Hold’em poker has less chance
Whether you’re risk averse or the biggest whale at your casino, you want to have an edge when you gamble. With Texas Hold’em, you can. Video poker, whilst offering better odds than many other casino games is still a game where you are an underdog. In Texas Hold’em you can be the favourite. How? Simple, if you play in games where you are the better player, you will win in the long run. It’s highly attested that better players are winners in the long run. Bad runs can happen but the better players come out on top.
Texas Hold’em is a skill game with an element of chance. Video poker is a chance game with an element of skill.
Video Poker is computerised, Texas Hold’em is people
Video poker is a computerised game against the house. This is the opposite to Texas Hold’em, where you are facing up to 8 other players at the table. Playing against people is always more fun and rewarding than playing against a machine. That is not a criticism of video poker. If you prefer to play against a machine as a small underdog than against people with varying degrees of ability, that’s fine.
Pots or jackpots?
In Texas Hold’em, you win the hand, you win the pot i.e. real money cash or tournament chips. In video poker, you can win a fixed amount based on the value of your hand. The higher value of your hand, the more you win. This provides you with an opportunity to win a jackpot. Something that is not available in Texas Hold’em. A royal flush in video poker can pay out as much as 4,000 x your wager. Not bad eh? Whist Texas Hold’em doesn’t pay out jackpots, as such, there is potential to win tournaments which can be hundreds of times the amount you buy in for.
Jacks or better vs any 2 cards
In order to win anything in video poker, you need to have jacks or better. In Texas Hold’em you can win with any two cards. You can also lose with any two cards but the point is, you can bluff or win a pot with an ace high card. This is an important distinction because if you are moving from video poker to regular poker and think you need jacks or better to be involved, you will lose money blinding away.
Video poker is simple, Texas Hold’em poker is complex
The biggest difference between the two games is the levels of complexity. Video poker can be played by a beginner who learns the rules quickly. The same can’t be said for Texas Hold’em. You need to understand so many different concepts and strategies to expect to win money (hence freepokertips.co.uk). Starting hands, bet sizing, pot odds, poker tells, continuation betting, bluffing, semi bluffing and bankroll management, the list is endless.
Final Thoughts
They may share the same name and use 52 cards but they are worlds apart, despite the fact you have video poker and Texas Hold’em casino games sometimes next to each other. As a Texas Hold’em fan, I am biased and will urge you to try Texas Hold’em. There’s more control, skill, money and complexity that makes it satisfying from a financial and social aspect.
